About 20% of the whole Japanese, i.e., about twenty million or more Japanese are suffering from hypertension, and the hypertension is a serious risk factor of various cerebral diseases, heart diseases, etc. In practice, thiazide hypotensive diuretic agents, .beta.-blockers, calcium antagonists, ACE inhibitors, etc., have now been clinically utilized for drug therapy of the hypertension.
However, the origin and pathology of the hypertension are very different, and it is difficult to significantly control all types of hypertension through the use of only one drug. Further, regarding safety, the .beta.-blocker brings about cardiac depression and bronchial actuation as the side effects and the diuretic agent brings about side effects such as hyperuricemia, abnormal saccharometabolism and abnormal fat metabolism, while the ACE inhibitor brings about cough as the side effect.
Under the above-described circumstances, different types of better hypotensives which exhibit their effects through various mechanisms have still been desired.
The present inventors have made extensive and intensive studies on a compound having a nonpeptide angiotensin II antagonistic activity for years and, as a result, have found that the following biphenylmethane derivative has an excellent activity.
Examples of the imidazole compound having an angiotensin II antagonistic activity proposed in the art include those disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 148788/1979, 71073/1981, 71074/1981, 98270/1982, 157768/1983 and 23868/1988. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 240683/1987 proposes 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine-6-carboxylic acid derivatives. Any of the above-described compounds are different from the compounds of the present invention, which will be described hereinbelow, in the structure.